Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Shitholeistan learned well our lessons
As former Preznitent W might say, we guv them our democracy and freedoms.
Early this year, officials in Washington extolled a rare success in the fight against the drug trade in Afghanistan: The authorities there had imprisoned a leading opium trafficker on the United States’ kingpin list, Haji Lal Jan Ishaqzai.Just like in this country, it doesn't matter what you did, money talks and you walk.
The incarceration hinted at a newfound willingness by the Afghan authorities to prosecute criminals whose clout once made them untouchable. For those seeking evidence that the United States had not wasted hundreds of millions of dollars propping up Afghanistan’s criminal justice system, here was Exhibit A.
Then Mr. Ishaqzai bribed his way out of prison. He paid a lot — Afghan investigators suspect as much as $14 million, although people who know Mr. Ishaqzai say the figure was much lower. The cash went to a cross-section of people in the criminal justice system, according to Afghan and American officials.
Investigators say they are still trying to piece together what happened. But at its heart, the escape was fairly typical. For years, criminals and Taliban insurgents have been buying their way out of jail, for a fraction of what it cost Mr. Ishaqzai.
The number of people set free through corruption is difficult to track, in part because judges often cover up bribes by requiring a letter — real or forged — from local elders saying the prisoner about to be released will renounce criminality. This makes it difficult to prove whether the judge was moved by mercy or cash.
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